Chase Minter picked 25th on national list

Chase Minter was slotted as the 25th best player in the country this preseason according to TopDrawerSoccer.com. Photo by Owen Main.

Expectations for this year’s Cal Poly men’s soccer team continue to build. This week, senior midfielder Chase Minter — already on the 30-player Hermann Trophy watch list and an All-Big West preseason selection, was selected 25th on Top Drawer Soccer’s men’s national top-100 players list.

Minter is the first Big West player to appear on the list that also includes UC Irvine’s Mats Bjurman (38th), UCSB’s Nick DePuy (51st), and UCI’s Matthew Tilley (100th).

Minter scored seven goals and dished out five assists last season. He is Cal Poly’s most dynamic player with the ball at his feet and possibly the best 1 v 1 offensive player in the conference. If the Mustangs are to be serious conference contenders in 2015, Minter will have to have even a better season.

Cal Poly opens their inaugural season under first-year head coach and former US Men’s National team coach Steve Sampson on Friday night at home against defending WAC champions UNLV. Sampson compiled a 64-19-19 record while coaching at Santa Clara, and was a part of two NCAA National Championship teams — one as an assistant and one as the head coach.

Friday’s kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.